''Xyloolaena'' is a genus within

Sarcolaenaceae The Sarcolaenaceae are a family of flowering plants endemic to Madagascar. The family includes 79 species of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs in ten genera. Recent DNA studies indicate that the Sarcolaenaceae are a sibling taxon to the family ...

family. Within Sarcolaenaceae, ''Xyloolaena'' appears to be most closely related to ''

Sarcolaena ''Sarcolaena'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sarcolaenaceae. This family is endemic to Madagascar. There are about 8 species in the genus.Randrianasolo, A., & Miller, J. S. (1999)Taxonomic revision of the genus ''Sarcolaena'' (Sarc ...

'' and ''

Leptolaena ''Leptolaena'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sarcolaenaceae. There are 8 species, all native to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ...

''.

Species

The genus has five species of shrubs and trees, all endemic to Madagascar. *'' Xyloolaena humbertii'' Cavaco 1950 is a small tree 6–8 m tall known from only a single collection made in transitional vegetation between sclerophyllous forest and dry bush (800–900 m elevation). It was collected from the locality where now Andohahela National Park exists (Toliara province). *'' Xyloolaena perrieri'' F.Gérard 1919 is a tree c. 4–10 m tall that has been recorded at scattered localities from near Morondava, Ankarafantsika National Park and the Lokia River basin east of Ambilobe within Madagascar's dry bioclimatic region (Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toliara provinces). Vernacular name – ''Zahana''. *'' Xyloolaena richardii'' (

Baill. Henri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on 30 November 1827 and died in Paris on 19 July 1895. Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on ...

)

(1872) 1884 is a tree c. 4–20 m tall, ranging from sea level to over 1,500 m elevation in areas with a humid bioclimate in northeastern Madagascar, with one population recorded in the far southeast (Antsiranana, Toamasina and Toliara provinces). Vernacular names – ''Fakody, Fombaotoafo, Pesoala, Takodibe, Tamboro, Tsikody zahana, Vahitoambody, Voakoropetaka, Voantiambody, Voantsatroka''. *'' Xyloolaena sambiranensis'' Lowry & G.E.Schatz 2002 is a shrub to tree 3–12 m tall distributed in the

Sambirano The Sambirano region, also known as the Sambirano domain, is a biogeographic region of northwestern Madagascar. It has a distinctive lowland climate with year-round rain, differing from the rest of seasonally-dry western and northern Madagascar. The ...

region (subhumid bioclimate) from south of Maromandia north to the Ambanja area (Antsiranana and Mahajanga provinces). Vernacular names – ''Sofiakomba, Sofiankomba, Sofikomba, Sofinakomba, Sofinkomba''. *'' Xyloolaena speciosa'' Lowry & G.E.Schatz 2002 is a large shrub or tree to 20 m tall. It is narrowly distributed in an area with a dry to subhumid bioclimate extending from the Ambato Peninsula and the lower Ifasy River valley north to near Ambilobe (Antsiranana province). Vernacular name – ''Marabanty''.

References

* Lowry II P.P., Schatz G.E. & Wolf A.-E.. 2000. Endemic families of Madagascar. VIII. A synoptic revision of Xyloolaena Baill. (Sarcolaenaceae). ''Adansonia'', sér. 3 (2002), 24 (1): 7–19

Sarcolaenaceae Endemic flora of Madagascar Malvales genera Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon {{Sarcolaenaceae-stub